Archive for January 21, 2012

Many Ways to Lose Weight – HCG Diet

Want to turn that spare tire into a six -pack? While I am a proponent of the tried and true, natural approach to a slow and steady weight loss using a healthy diet, portion control and exercise, sometimes using that approach can take a long time and some people end up getting discouraged. Stubborn fat around the midline is one of the most common complaints I get in my anti aging medicine practice. People have a harder time losing the weight when they get older despite diet and exercise. Others come to me demoralized that after months of deprivation, they could only lose a few pounds and they just give up.

The book the “The Weight Loss Cure” popularized and resurrected the HCG diet. HCG stands for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin. HCG is a hormone used for male and female infertility. This made me very skeptical, however when colleagues of mine encouraged me to look into it, I did. While I would never call it a cure or make some of the claims in the book, when used properly in qualified candidates, it is safe and effective.

Dr. Oz did a show on HCG as well. He had some of the same concerns as I do. A diet such as this one that is only 500 calories a day should only be done under medical supervision. A very low calorie diet with or without HCG can be complicated and it is important to have someone to guide you and address issues as they come up. Secondly, buying homeopathic drops on the Internet can especially be troublesome, as you don’t know what you are getting. It is recommended that you talk to a doctor before considering this type of diet. Only a doctor can prescribe the actual hormone made by a pharmaceutical company under strict FDA standards or compounded by reputable, highly skilled compounding pharmacists. This assures potency, purity and quality.

The controversy of whether or not it would work with or without the hormone may persist until we have better studies. Those that I read that were negative did not necessarily follow the protocol. Until that happens, I carefully monitor my patients and watch their waist waste away and put smiles on their faces. So, if you want to try the HCG diet, go to a qualified physician who can determine if it is safe for you and where you can be monitored and obtain pure, potent HCG. Waist away!

Category: Weight Loss / Tags: , , ,

Medical Detoxification To Kick Addiction

Many people fall victim to the addicting properties of alcohol and drugs. When they reach the point that they want to get help, it is important that they enter a quality program. The first step in the fight against alcohol and drug addiction is medical detox. This is a process that allows individuals to rid their systems of alcohol and drug poison. After these harmful toxins are out of the body, the individual has a much better chance of reaching recovery through drug rehab.

Duration

The duration of an individual’s detoxification will depend on how long and how severe their addiction to alcohol and drugs has been. In addition, an individual’s personality and body processes will dictate how long it will take to cleanse the body of toxins. Typically, detoxification can take from a number of days to a couple of weeks.

Withdrawal

During the withdrawal period individual will experience a number of symptoms. The symptoms that are most common are insomnia, depression, and anxiety. Individuals often experience irritability, sudden changes in their mood, and a severe craving for alcohol and drugs. There is the possibility of seizures during the process of detoxification that can last a number of days and range from mild to very serious.

Detox

Inpatient treatment centers typically include medical detoxification as part of their program. It is important that there is continuous stability between the start of the cleansing process through the end of the rehabilitation treatment plan. Individuals feel more secure in knowing that they have a skilled team of professionals who will care for them throughout the process.

Support

The support of dedicated counselors, nurses, and doctors who help people through this physical and emotional process is very important. These skilled professionals can help make this difficult process less traumatic and more successful. The success of the detoxification process can lead to long-term success with an individuals treatment program.

24-Hour Care

Because of the symptoms a person can experience during the withdrawal process, twenty-four hour supervision by medical personnel is vital. The medical team includes doctors and nurses that have extensive training and experience in all phases of the decontamination process. Once the individuals system has been cleansed of the harmful poisons from alcohol and drugs, they will be ready to proceed with their treatment program.

Individual Treatment

An individual treatment plan should be developed for each person before they enter detox. With a specifically designed treatment plan individuals will have a better chance at success. When the individual has completed the detox phase of treatment, they can move on to rehab. Rehab allows the individual to heal physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Category: Detoxification / Tags: , , , , , , ,

Dentist Tips For People With Diabetes

Individuals with many types of health conditions are often affected by the state of their oral health and hygiene. This is especially true of diabetics and there are a number of things your dentist wants you to know if you have diabetes. Diabetics have a dramatically increased risk of periodontal gum disease. While the disease itself doesn’t cause gingivitis, it can make the gum infection progress at a faster rate and cause longer consequences. In turn, this type of gum disease can end up making it harder to control your sugars and the end result is a vicious circle that is tough to keep on top of.

The first thing your dentist wants you to know if you are diabetic is that any type of condition in your mouth will affect your entire body. Your mouth is literally an open connection to the rest of your body. Any type of bacteria that is ingested can easily travel to your bloodstream through your mouth and cause inflammatory changes in the rest of your body. Increased elevation is the body’s natural response to infection and can, in turn, decrease your body’s sensitivity to insulin. Diabetes is a disease characterized by your body’s decreased response to insulin and this makes it even harder to control your blood sugars.

If you have diabetes, your dentist also wants you to know that the early stages of gum disease are most dangerous because they are silent. There are very few symptoms early on and so it is a disease that is hard to catch before it is extensive. By the time gums are sore and bleeding, the gum disease has advanced enough to cause erosion and even loosen support for teeth. If you have noticed that your gums are sore and bleed easily when you brush, it isn’t too late to reverse effects of gum disease, but the disorder has already advanced.

Lastly, your dentist also wants you to know that it may be important to schedule visits more often if you have diabetes. Since early gum disease is so silent, it may be important to visit with your oral healthcare provider and schedule cleanings on a regular basis so that they can check for gum disease. While the general population should visit their dental office every six months, diabetics should visit more frequently. It is often recommended that diabetics schedule dental appointments every three to four months.

Category: Dental Care / Tags: , , , , , ,